Mission Focused. Environmentally Responsible. Greentide Target Solutions.

On Target for Sustainable Defence with Greentide Solutions

As governments around the world place greater emphasis on environmental sustainability, defence organisations are increasingly reassessing their practices and capabilities to reduce their environmental footprint. This includes adopting more sustainable approaches to training activities and operational deployments while maintaining mission effectiveness and readiness.

Greentide Target Solutions is an Australian, veteran owned business that designs and manufactures a variety of innovative, capability driven targets combining operational performance with environmental responsibility. Greentide has grown to supply its targets to Singapore and New Zealand Defence Forces.

Ex-Army Blackhawk pilot and Greentide founder Shaun Fisk identified firsthand the opportunity for sustainable targetry while deployed to East Timor.

“We had to conduct a helicopter door gunnery shoot over the East Timor Sea to maintain aircrew currencies. During the planning, we had no dedicated targets available and given the pristine environment, we didn’t really want to simply throw anything that floats out the door. Following some research, I found that there was nothing available that was environmentally friendly.”

This led to the development of the Biodegradable Small Arms Target (BSAT).

“My main focus was to design something that would float but could also be easily transported in and deployed from the helicopter cabin.”

Modular in design and with rapid assembly and deployment, the BSAT provides a highly efficient and eco-friendly solution to targetry requirements.

The BSAT is made from cardboard sheets and eco-friendly glues and inks. It’s designed specifically to break down in the ocean so that where target recovery is not practicable, impact to the environment is minimised.

Showcased in the Singapore Ministry of Defence IGNITE Innovation Symposium in 2023, the BSAT has been used by the Singapore Navy and Coast Guard for several years.

“I was approached by a member of the Singapore Navy who had been tasked to look for replacements for the rubber balloon ‘Killer Tomato’ targets, and he wanted to trial the BSAT. They loved the target and began using it straight away”

Following success in Singapore, the New Zealand Navy trialled the targets and are eager to transition away from the large vinyl ‘Killer Tomatoes’.

Greentide is expanding to other global markets and with the support of AusTrade and Team Defence Australia, and has showcased their targets internationally at the Singapore Airshow, INDO Defence in Jakarta and Sea Air Space conference in Washington DC. This has resulted in interest from Malaysia, Japan and the US with Greentide engaging with local suppliers in each of these locations.

While the current use of the targets is primarily sea based, Greentide also produce static land based targets.

“We have had a lot of interest outside of the naval arms, for example in close air support serials as well as combined arms and indirect serials where an economical and sustainable point target would be of benefit. Nobody wants to aim at the ‘lone tree’ or ‘bush on the hill’ so we have designed land based silhouettes and figure 11 alternatives”.

“Also, having a designated point target assists with target description, confirmation of point of aim and fall of shot.”

Greentide can be contacted for orders and enquiries at www.greentide.com.au or email contact@greentide.com.au.

main image BSAT L – Biodegradable Small Arms Target with land silhuette graphics.